Environmental Remote Sensing
Spring 2006

Instructor: Dr. W. Paul Menzel
(Chief Scientist for the Center for Satellite Applications and Research in NOAA/NESDIS)

Office Location: T-103, Steinmann Hall, CCNY
Office Hours: Monday 2.00 PM and Thursay 3.00 PM

Class and Lab Location: Room 424—Remote Sensing Computation Lab, Steinmann Hall
Class Time: Monday and Wednesday 10:20 AM -12:00 PM
Lab Time: ..Tuesday 12:20 PM -2:00 PM and Thursday 10:20 AM -12:00 PM

Objectives

An in depth explanation of methods and techniques used to extract information from meteorological satellite data, with emphasis on the latest measuring technologies. The course will consist of lectures, laboratory sessions, group lab projects, homework and tests. The results from each of the group projects will be presented to the class by the participating students.

Main Topics

A. Lectures:

  • Radiation and the Radiative Transfer Equation
  • Spectral signatures from Earth’s surface and atmosphere (MODIS)
  • Cloud detection and cloud properties (MODIS & AIRS)
  • Sounding using infrared high resolution spectral data (AIRS)

B. Labs:

  • Using HYDRA (a JAVA based freeware tool) to manipulate multi-spectral data
  • Staging, Viewing, Interrogating MODIS, AIRS, and GOES Data
  • Group Projects
Date Lectures (Monday and Wednesday) Date Labs (Tuesday and Thursday)
March 06 Radiation and the Radiative Transfer Equation March 07 Lab 1: HYDRA to Inspect Multispectral Remote Sensing Data
March 08 Remote Sensing of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere March 09 Lab 2: Analyzing MODIS data viewing land, ocean, atmosphere
       
March 13* Clouds, SST, and Moisture Sensed with MODIS March 14 Lab 3: Multi-spectral Cloud Properties Sensed with MODIS
March 15 Investigations with High Spectral Resolution Sounders March 16 Lab 4: Staging, Viewing, and Interrogating AIRS Data
       
March 20* Spectral Signatures seen with AIRS March 21 Lab 5: Exploring Spectral Properties of Clouds, Moisture
March 22 Summary of Remote Sensing Lessons March 23 Lab 6: Group Projects (Cal/Val, ocean color & SST, etc..)
       
March 27 Lab 6: Continue Group Projects March 28 Lab 6: Continue Group Projects
March 29 Lab 6: Continue Group Projects March 30 Lab 6: Finish Group Lab Projects
       
April 04 Presentation of Group Lab Projects [Students] April 05* Quiz 3
       
  * Quiz will be taken on 13, 20 March and 05 April